Bledisloe 2 - Saturday 25th August 2018 - Eden Park, Auckland

[Lorenzo]

The games moved on since then.
Low scoring games where 1-2 tries is enough are uncommon.
Agree 100% our defence is substandard and needs a lot of work.
But 1-2 tries a game won't cut it either. Not against the top 3 sides.

You seem to have missed my point, tbf I could have been clearer.

We are scoring three tries (for 26 points) a match, even in the 50% Chieka era.

The issue is the three tries a match that we are giving up (for 25 points).

Obviously if we build a team based solely on D, that scoring might come back a bit. But it's not viable to win frequently when you are giving up 25 a match.

 

[Gnostic]

I thought Koroibete was one our best.

Have a look at the missed tackle count. Then look a bit deeper at the ineffectual tackles and even worse the chases that didn't put any pressure on the ball carrier.

 

[A mutterer]

I thought Koroibete was one our best at missing tackles and being out of position.

ftfy

 

[Joe Blow]

Have a look at the missed tackle count. Then look a bit deeper at the ineffectual tackles and even worse the chases that didn't put any pressure on the ball carrier.

I didn’t watch the last 10, couldn’t keep going. Before that he made some very good tackles and shut down a few attacking raids on his own.
I’ll wait for the stats.
ABs just too good. They are going to walk the RWC.
DHP an improvement on Folau who should come back on the wing.
The neck rolls by dirty Franks in his 100th should have earned him a yellow.

 

[tragic]

After tonight's performance I would consider leaving DHP at FB, slotting folau in to the wing, and dropping koribete out of the 23.

 

[RugbyReg]

Koroibete is a beast and works harder than most wingers in the game.

But his missed tackle count is unacceptable. I think its because he goes completely 100% at everything. He must be buggered. But he is the only player that chases consistently. The only one.

The missed tackles let us down though. Unfortunately.

 

[Up the Guts]

Koroibete is a beast and works harder than most wingers in the game.

But his missed tackle count is unacceptable. I think its because he goes completely 100% at everything. He must be buggered. But he is the only player that chases consistently. The only one.

The missed tackles let us down though. Unfortunately.

He's actually quite a good cover defender when the opposition have an overlap, he jockeys across well and usually makes the tackle when the guy on the sideline tries to pin his ears back. Where he's not so good is a one on one in a bit of space, he goes too hard and gets stepped or brushed off quite easily (see Barrett's last try).

Obviously, going hard is a big part of his game but you have to temper this with holding your feet in defence against agile players like Ben Smith or McKenzie. I'd hope he is coached to do so soon.

 

[tragic]

There's a kid in the local team I coach. Consistently one of the fastest kids on the field. Every time there's a break he chases hard and then shadows the kid all the way to the try line. It's like he's waiting for them to stop and say ok, I give up - you caught me.
I think he's going to be a future wallaby.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

We just do not have the calibre of cattle to compete with the all blacks and yes that reflect rugby demise as well in being forth code.



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[Tomikin]

We really miss TKs defensive nous and strach in the middle..he also call Korobeti in fijian and actually trucks it up pretty effectively. Hodge for all his good things isnt TK in that backline.. remember we shipped a bunch with Kervi last year before he was replaced and TK sured up the defence especially againt the all blacks this is required.

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[biggsy]

Koroibete is a beast and works harder than most wingers in the game.

But his missed tackle count is unacceptable. I think its because he goes completely 100% at everything. He must be buggered. But he is the only player that chases consistently. The only one.

The missed tackles let us down though. Unfortunately.

Reg, I regard you as one of my favourite and best rugby info personalities today. Even though you question my comments/views many times, this is why I like this forum... And again this will be another one of those times.
Kororibete as a Wingers does give 100% agreeed.... but with no idea what to do as a winger in Rugby Union. To many times I have seen him out of position in international and super rugby in defence. Another issue in Australian rugby, players in positions where there not any good.
Cheika , Rebels and RA Australia have failed on turning a NRL catch into a smart union player.
I’m negative about a lot players and get called out for it.. but each weekend these players keep making me look good.

We all know in Rubgy as a winger , your not surprose to work hard to be amazing... you just have to be there when scoring in the corner is needed ....

 

[Rebels3]

Koroibete is a beast and works harder than most wingers in the game.

But his missed tackle count is unacceptable. I think its because he goes completely 100% at everything. He must be buggered. But he is the only player that chases consistently. The only one.

The missed tackles let us down though. Unfortunately.

Missed tackles is one of the worst stats in rugby, it’s often reflective of the team and not the player. Not making excuses for Koroibete and I’d have to watch the game again to see if he was at fault, but if you are a winger and left on your back heels because the inside men fail to win collisions or jam up on players you are on a hiding to nothing. 2 on 1s where you are back tracking at club level let alone international level is a gimmie for the man with the ball to beat the man in front. Like I said sometimes it’s more a reflection of other people’s inability than the one who is punished on the stats sheet

 

[Rebels3]

It’s inconsequential but did anyone notice Barrett actually dropped the ball on the second try? It’s one of those things, eg. Maybe first try looked at without the drop kick and second try disallowed etc. and we are in the game more. But at the end of the day you earn the right to decisions through perception and hard work.

 

[Rebels3]

Watching it with a couple of mates that know nothing about rugby and watch afl, both noted the lack of collisions we win around the park. They noted that they hit us and we go back more than not and when we hit them, they go forward. So simple but one of the biggest issues in aus rugby. Not calling for it myself as I believe the balance would be wrong but would love to see a team with our pack full of players that are best at winning the collision battle in each position selected and see what they could do.

 

[Up the Guts]

We all know in Rubgy as a winger , your not surprose to work hard to be amazing.

Well this isn’t true.

 

[ACR]

After tonight's performance I would consider leaving DHP at FB, slotting folau in to the wing, and dropping koribete out of the 23.

I've always wondered this. Why does Folau not play on the wing again?

Has anyone else noticed as well, that Ardie Savea comes off the bench and after literally 5 mins of playing is puffing his guts out, looking like he ran a marathon? He seems to get around the park alright but he looks constantly out of breath.

As for Australian rugby, I agree with some other posts above. Kill the game. Play a boring, slow, tedious, tight Irish game. What do you have to bloody lose? All the 5 kick supporters can't tell the difference anyway and the ones that aren't watching would rather hear about a win than an absolute thumping. (then again, you need stronger forwards for this .. welp)

 

[Joe Blow]

He should probably go to 13 to have him more involved and to give us that penetration in the mid field, at least until TK returns.

 

[Namerican]

As a Canadian who is also a Wallabies fan I feel for you guys. We used to be able to win the occasional game against the likes of France or Wales, but it has been a slow decline to the point that we are losing to Uruguay and Brazil. Along the way people blamed selection, the coaches, sevens rugby etc. All of these things on the national side were manipulated every which way, but the reality is that the foundation of the sport here is exceptionally weak and the grassroots is diminished. It sounds like the same thing has happened in Australia and now it is showing up at the top.

It isn't the fault of any individual player on the side or the coach, the country as a whole just isn't good enough. How many Wallabies would start on the All Blacks? Probably Pocock, maybe Folau. Genia, Hooper and Coleman are possibly subs. Props I don't know. That's it. How can you beat a team when they have better players, by far, at at least 13 of 15 positions?

Foley isn't great, but neither is any prospective replacement for him (Quade is a joke), Phipps, Tui, Korobiete, Robertson or any of the other players that are maligned on this forum.

Robertson - clearly too small
Hodge - jack of all trades, master of none
Foley - a 10 that can't kick
Beale - high risk, can't tackle
Korobiete - Fast. That's about it.
Folau - Can't kick
Hooper and Pocock - two best players play the same position
Second lock - not nearly good enough
8 Man and 6: They don't have any!
Tui - Good runs, not good enough at anything else at this point, would be eons away from a jersey in black.
Phipps - Would be the ABs 10th 9
TPN - No stamina whatsoever
Rob Simmons - Again, ABs #15 lock option, South Africa the same
DHP - Solid fullback, no X factor

The ABs are fielding absolute studs at every position. The Wallabies are putting out inherently flawed players, with only a few exceptions. It isn't the fault of the players that they are the best you have. Cheika isn't perfect, nor is Larkham, but I don't think you'd see Steve Hansen leading the Wallabies to a Bledisloe if you swapped coaches.

It all starts at the bottom and the Wallabies aren't good enough because rugby in Australia is moribund. The Super Rugby teams reflect the state of the sport and for the most part they are mediocre. You can't blame Foley or Cheika for the state of the sport, these types of people are the SOLUTION to the problem, not the CAUSE. The players, for the most part, play hard rugby. When you get blown out and are badly overmatched it is hard to keep the same level of intensity up. Yes they ought to, Pocock did, but I've never seen it where a team gets beat by 40 points and there aren't some players that are discouraged or letting up. If the ABs got annihilated a few games in a row even they'd be acting the same. Losing breeds losing.

Anyways just a rant to say that you can shuffle the deck however you like but you aren't going to win a hand if your deck is stacked with twos and your opponent's is all aces.

 

[Namerican]

Agree completely. Aus almost tried to play too much. NZ eat that shit up. Look at Ireland/Lions. That's how you do it. Take no chances, have no fun, zero entertainment, shit to watch, boring as fuck, just strangle the life out of the game and play the dull percentages for all 80 minutes.

Could not agree more. The ABs will tire you out otherwise and then their speedsters will kill you.

Wallabies seem a bit screwed though as the fast-tempo game they play is what gives them success against every other country in the world. It's why they made the RWC final last time around. Other teams can't cope with it. Hard to adjust tactics so completely to play one specific side.

Not to bag on Foley/Beale, because I don't think there are much better options, but if you thought up a 10/12 combo that was going to fail against the ABs it would be these two. Foley can't kick, Beale is high-risk and turnover prone and can't tackle for a lick in the open field. It's a recipe for disaster.

 

[Namerican]

Koroibete is a beast and works harder than most wingers in the game.

But his missed tackle count is unacceptable. I think its because he goes completely 100% at everything. He must be buggered. But he is the only player that chases consistently. The only one.

The missed tackles let us down though. Unfortunately.

All he needs to do is slow down in the 8 metres pre tackle. That's an extremely basic skill for a winger. I could be wrong but he and Beale seem to have exceptionally short arms. They fling themselves, but they don't get a wrap at all. Beale's actually not bad in tight, but in the loose he's horrible. It isn't a bulk problem for either, they just seem incapable of wrapping a runner.